By outward appearances, IMDB listings and bank statements, Kevin Costner has it all.
But as revealed in a series of anecdotes during his April 11 Infinity Hall performance with his band, Modern West, even a Tinseltown titan is not immune to misunderstandings with offspring, woman woes and daddy issues.
“I was working all of these odd jobs, and my father was constantly on me: ‘Whatcha gonna do with your life?'” he recalled as the band vamped behind him. “And when I finally told him I wanted to be an actor, I could sense he was worried for me, embarrassed for me. I think there’s almost something biblical about fathers and sons, the father’s desire to help them achieve their dream…and he knew he couldn’t help me with this. But I did it, then I told him I wanted to direct. He said ‘You know, this acting thing is going pretty good, buster. Why do you want to take a chance and mess it up now?’ Then I knew I wanted to make music, and I didn’t even tell Dad. I figured he’d find out like everyone else—and I’d be 90 miles an hour down the road already, the title of this next song.”
Other tunes like “Indian Summer” and “Let Me Be The One” proved equally palatable, with passable performances by all—with the notable exceptions of violinist Bobby Yang and Costner’s daughter Lily on vocals, both of whom were downright exceptional.
The poignant “I Know These Hills” was a particular standout, and one that Costner says may be featured in his upcoming Hatfield & McCoys miniseries, airing in 2013 on the History Channel.
“People think of the beards and fighting and [think] these were somehow ignorant people,” Costner says of the infamous feuding families. “But these were soldiers who had fought together in the Confederate Army. And they say it’s silly, neighbors fighting over a pig… Well, a pig fed a family for 30 days. There are people who take their neighbors to court now because the addition to their house partially obstructs their view of the ocean.”
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Upping the decibel dosage considerably, the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival (metalandhardcorefest.com) is set to unleash no fewer than 75 of the industry’s heaviest hitters upon the masses from Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22 at the Palladium in Worcester. Among the highlights for this, the 14th installment of the cerebellum-melting multi-day affair, will be headlining appearances by the Valley’s own All That Remains (Saturday night) and Killswitch Engage (Sunday).
“It’s been great to have some time off, but now it’s time to get back to business,” Killswitch mouthpiece Howard Jones remarks of the proverbial homecoming. “It’s like old times again, hanging out with your friends. But they all have moustaches now.”
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In other news, with a Letterman performance under their collective belt and a Newport Folk Fest slot waiting in the wings, Providence’s Deer Tick is taking some time to give back to a local organization that has been near and dear to one of its members.
“The group features Springfield native Ian O’Neil on lead guitar,” says Shira Knishkowy of Big Hassle Media, a firm that handles the band’s PR, discussing Deer Tick’s April 19 benefit show at—and for—the John Boyle O’Reilly Club in Springfield. “Ian spent a large chunk of time in his childhood going to functions at the facility, so this is a very special cause for him.”
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and available by calling (413) 788-8603 (after 2 p.m.).
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Last but not least, Easthamp’s Flywheel (flywheelarts.org) was fortunate enough to be one of four venues in the region to snare a rare appearance by Jimmy Destri and The Sound Grenade, coming to town April 21. For those not in the know, Destri is bona fide New Wave nobility—a founding member and songwriter for ’80s icons Blondie.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
